Prophet Prophet Mohammed's marriages
have long provided another source of Western criticism of the moral character
of the Prophet. A noted British author has observed:

"No great religious leader has
been so maligned as Prophet Mohammed. Attacked in the past as a heretic,
an impostor, or a sensualist, it is still possible to find him referred
to as "the false prophet." A modern German writer accuses Prophet Mohammed
of sensuality, surrounding himself with young women. This man was not married
until he was twenty-five years of age, then he and his wife lived in happiness
and fidelity for twenty-four years, until her death when he was fourty-nine.
Only between the age of fifty and his death at sixty-two did Prophet Mohammed
take other wives, only one of whom was a virgin, and most of them were
taken for dynastic and political reasons. Certainly the Prophet's record
was better than the head of the Church of England, Henry VIII."

In addressing the issue of
Prophet Prophet Mohammed's polygynous marriages, it is important to remember
several points.

First, Semitic culture in general
and Arab practice in particular permitted polygyny. It was common practice
in Arabian society, especially among nobles and leaders. Though less common,
polygyny was also permitted in biblical and even in postbiblical Judaism.
From Abraham, David and Solomon down to the reformation period, polygyny
was practised by some Jews. While Jewish law changed after the middle Ages
due to the influence of Christian rule, for Jews under Islamic rule, polygyny
remained licit, though it was not extensively practised.

Second, during the prime of his life,
Prophet Mohammed remained married to one woman, Khadija.

Third, it was only after her death
that he took a number of wives.

Fourth, Prophet Mohammed's use of
the special dispention from God to exceed the limit of four wives imposed
by the Quran, occurred only after the death of Khadija. Morever, most of
the eleven marriages had political and social motives. As was customary
for Arab chiefs, many were political marriages to cement alliances. Others
were marriages to the widows of his companions who had fallen in combat
and were in need of protection. Remarriage was difficult in a society that
emphasised the importance of virgin marriages.

Aisha was the only virgin that Prophet
Prophet Mohammed married and the wife with whom he had the closest relationship.

Fifth, Prophet Prophet Mohammed's
teachings and actions, as well as the Quranic message, improved the status
of all women - wives, daughters, mothers, widows and orphans.

Talk of the political and social
motives behind many of the Prophet's marriages should not obscure the fact
that Prophet Mohammed was attracted to women and enjoyed being with his
wives. To deny this would contradict the Islamic outlook on marriage and
sexuality, found in both revelation and Prophetic traditions, which emphasises
the importance of family and views sex as a gift from God to be enjoyed
within the bonds of marriage. The many stories about Prophet Mohammed's
concern and care for his wives reflect these values.

This information was taken from
"Islam: The Straight Path" by John L. Esposito who is Professor of Middle
East Studies, College of the Holy Cross. He also served as President of
the Middle East Studies Association.